BKFC 41 was different for Brandon Girtz.

“I really took this event to heart. I really took in every moment. The whole day and night, everything was great from the beginning to the end, and that’s because I was present in the moment,” says Girtz, who earned his first BKFC victory at BKFC 41 with a first-round stoppage over Christian Torres.

Girtz, a 15-time Bellator MMA vet, has been in a lot of big fights over the years. He’s largely had a business person’s approach to his fighting career – punch in, compete, collect a check and go home.

“This time was different," he says. "I wanted to soak it all in.”

Girtz turned 38 in March. He jokes that he’s not exactly a prospect anymore. But with age and experience has come wisdom. He knows his days as a competitor in the Squared Circle are numbered, so he now understands the importance of enjoying the time he does have left.

“When I look back at my career, I don’t have a lot of memories. It’s like I hit the fast forward button and missed so much,” Girtz says.

“I didn’t have any gratitude for where I was. My thought process was that this is my job, I was expected to perform at a high level, and I can have fun when I go home. But I actually do like fighting. Sometimes it was like I was just trying to get through it – but the secret is to be present and appreciate every moment.”